October 18

In January of 2013, I was an equity partner in a pretty big law firm.  I began to suspect that our firm was in financial trouble when I began asking questions and not getting consistent answers.  I got scared.  What was I going to do?  I had worked for this firm for nearly 15 years.  It was pretty scary to think about how I was going to support my family, take care of my lawyers and staff, and serve my clients.  As the months wore on, I knew that there were going to be some major changes ahead, but I had no idea what was going to happen. 

Little did I know that God had all of this under control.  God orchestrated a chance meeting with an old partner, Mike Leasor.  Discussions revealed that we were both unhappy with our current situations and maybe it was time to start something together.  We knew it would take time, so we targeted January 1, 2014 as a starting date.  As we begin to think about opening a business, it became evident that we would need a line of credit at a bank, a place to lease and to secure equipment, staff, and clients.  I was a bit overwhelmed as my best friend had just lost her husband, I was a school lawyer and not really a businessperson, and stepping out on your own is scary.

After a few inquiries, Mike and I were told that without a formal business entity, we could not even talk to anyone about a lease, a line of credit or purchasing equipment. So, we went to a business lawyer and set up a corporation knowing we had a lot of decisions to make in the next six months.

The following Monday, at our shareholder meeting at my current firm, I realized that the firm could not survive past July or maybe August at the latest.  If we could not make payroll in July, we would lose some of the best lawyers around as well as the most competent staff.  They could figure it out and see the handwriting on the wall.  I called Mike and told him that we had three weeks to put a law firm together.  Talk about scared, I was stepping out and asking two other lawyers as well as three staff members to step out on faith with me. We was about to be responsible for taking care of a whole lot of people.

So I called my partner and said we have three weeks.  Mike told me we didn’t have an office or any equipment.  I told him to figure it out.  If we had to open up at his kitchen table, so be it.  The joke still is around my office that who knew you could put an office together in three weeks.  Mike and I prayed a lot during those three weeks.  On our knees kinda prayed.  It was lean on God or fear.  We chose God because He was our best bet.

We moved into an office on July 1 that was not complete.  No flooring, no bathroom and no certificate of occupancy.  But we prayed and God provided.  Eventually they put the flooring in around us, finished our bathroom so we did not have to go across the street to the State Farm office, and we got that certificate of occupancy.

Our team that came with us was just as prayerful as we were as they were literally leaping out in faith on two unknowns, Leasor and Crass!  But here we are six  and a half years later, and God has blessed us with a team of eight lawyers and three staff members.  Our office has expanded into this cool old house in downtown Mansfield with a kitchen and homey feel.  We are co-workers, but we are family.  Our kids have graduated from high school, college, gotten married, had children and began full time jobs!  Mike and I still marvel at the blessings God has bestowed upon us each year when we get to hand out bonuses to some pretty amazing folks!  Our LC family was born not out of fear but a spirit of power and of love and of sound mind. 

I’ll close by saying this every time I end a post………….Let go, and Let God!  Don’t let fear in your life.  Use fear as a means to lean on God